Bomb
by Olamach
Summary: Things changed and friendships were tested, new bonds were formed, true behaviors shined through.
1. Chapter 1

I hope you all like this story, it's Rori, Bade..., and the groups friendship overall during diffiult times.

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When the bombs dropped, it brought with it a cloud of destruction that ceased life beyond that moment. From that moment on life has come to a stand still, at least for me.

I remember having history class in the ninth grade, and watching a documentary about atomic bombs. The awful destruction it had done to Nagasaki and Hiroshima - a bomb had destroyed lives. I remember how scared I was and how for weeks after I had dreams of my flesh melting and my hair falling out. What had made it frightening was the fact that it could happen. It wasn't a far off notion, not at all.

It had happened.

Now here I am, eleven months after the bombs dropped. I'm weak, hungry, pale, and my hair is falling out in strands. I'm better off then most, I remind myself daily. I had been saved, not like my sister and parents and millions of others.

Sikowitz - my improve teacher from Hollywood Arts - he had apparently been preparing for this. He had a bunker and everything under his duplex. It's a tiny space for seven people but big enough for everyone to only have to share a room with one other person. It's run off a generator and smells horribly because of a septum tank malfunction last week. We have a lot of food, maybe, I'm not really sure. Only Sikowitz gets into that room with our food and water supplies.

Today is Monday, and I hardly want to get out of the cot I share with Cat. Her face is pressed into my shoulder and I couldn't get any sleep last night because of her crying. The lights are off and will be off until Sikowitz says otherwise, no wasting fuel.

My stomach grumbles and I blink my eyes open to stare blankly at the ceiling I can barely make out. Across from us someone is coughing, low, deep, and haggard, I think it's Andre but I can't be certain.

About thirty minutes later I hear shuffling and coughing and the lights are then switched on. I close my eyes and open them slowly, I watch Sikowitz move back toward the back of the bunker disappearing into a room. Sighing, I look at Robbie who is sliding over a sleeping Andre and heads to the bathroom - a hole in the floor. I get up and follow him, sparing a glance towards Beck and Jade's cot. Only Jade is awake and we lock eyes before I turn away.

I sit on a little table near the hole in the ground, as Robbie uses it. He only glances at me - modesty long gone from this place. I'm not embarrassed to see him us the bathroom, nor to see his penis. We've all seen a bit much of each other.

"He hasn't fed us in days, do you think that means he's out of food?" I ask.

Robbie finishes up. "Maybe, but it could also mean he's tired of feeding us. He's not exactly losing weight like the rest of us Tori, so he's obviously holding back." He reached for the old dusty tissue box on a shelf in the corner, pulling out a bottle of brown liquor. He takes a swig, makes a face and hands it over to me. "We all hold back something, right?"

I take it and take a swig, letting it burn my throat numbing me. Things had changed, we had changed. Being here, locked up, had brought out the worst in everyone. Awful sides of some I thought would never exist.

"What are we going to do?" I ask watching him put his drink away.

"What can we?" He gently shrugs. He then turns and leaves the bathroom and I follow a few seconds later. Andre is up, making his bed when I enter and Cat is rolling around on the cot and rubbing her eyes. Beck is up putting on his shoes, and Jade has her arms around her legs watching him, I don't like the annoyed frown already on Beck's features.

I find a chair near the thick iron door which locks us in and flip through an old book. Sikowitz's room door opens and he comes out a few jars of fruit in his hands. We all watch him silently as he gently sit's the items down on the table in the corner.

"Make it last."

Is all he has to say before turning and locking himself in his bedroom once more. No one moves for the food at first, then Robbie who is the closest grabs a jar and heads in my direction, motioning Cat over as well.

He has it open before he even takes a seat in front of me, his finger digging around in it until he grasped a piece of the mystery fruit, he then hands it over to me. I do as he had and stick the very sweet welcomed food into my mouth, handing it over to Cat.

Cat nervously glances behind her as Andre gets a jar and sits near us, leaving the last one to Beck and Jade.

"I'm sharing," Andre quietly says and I smile at him, of course he is. We take turns on who gets the most food every time we eat, it's Andre's turn, but of course he is willing to share. Not every one had changed badly with the bombs.

"No man," Robbie waves his hand. "That's all yours."

"We have to make this last!" I close my eyes tightly. "Stop eating like a fucking pig, Jade!"

"Fuck you, Beck!"

My dad had said one time that, it's always the folks who seem like they have nothing to hide with the biggest flaws. He told me the true ones self comes out when they are truly tested.

The glass jar crashes to the ground and Andre and Robbie move and pull a furious Beck away from Jade who has already been hit to the floor. Cat and I move, helping her off the floor and out of the room, away from the cursing Beck, who is still trying to get to her.

Cat and I haul her into the bathroom, like we usually do and set her on the table near the hole. Cat goes to find the first aid kit while I examine the bleeding lip.

"Jade…" I say quietly.

"Shut up, Tori." She looks tough and stubborn, but her eyes are glossy. She's going to cry.

Cat returns with the first aid kit and I got to work on the forming bruise around her mouth. No one talks during this and Robbie enters the bathroom about thirty minutes later one of the food jars in his hands.

"About another thirty minutes, girls." He tells us sadly and hands me the fruit. He then leaves. I hand it over to Jade, who takes it with shaky hands. We finish half of our jar in that thirty minutes and save the rest for later. We hang out in the bathroom, Jade allowing Cat to braid her thinning hair.

I get up after awhile and wonder out of the bathroom. Andre is distracting Beck with a card game on the one table in the room, and Robbie is sitting on his bed furiously scribbling in that notebook he won't allow anyone to touch. Someone had cleaned up the broken glass. I turned right and headed to Sikowitz's bed room door and tapped lightly on the tin door.

I don't get an answer and I'm not expecting one. I glance towards Robbie who is looking up at me, curiously.

"We need more water, Sikowitz." I say loudly. "I wanna trade out the book I got last time too."

A moment later the tin door opens a little and I catch a glimpse of a haggard looking Sikowitz. I hadn't expected a response.

"Hold up…" I begin turning to go get the book I was keeping under the bed, only to find Robbie handing it to Sikowitz through the cracked door. "Thanks," I whisper. Sikowitz takes the book, handing me three bottle of large water I hand to Robbie, then, he hands me a book and closes his door.

"He's in a wonderful mood." Robbie quietly said. I smiled at him, my first one in a while.

When night comes, Jade Cat and I all share the tiny cot, leaving Beck alone, giving him more time to cool off. It's hot tonight and I can't find a position to fall asleep, instead in the blackness of the bunker I stare at the thick door that freedom hides behind. No. It wasn't freedom behind it but it was something…

"Tori," a voice whispers making me look to my left. I can just make out Robbie nearby, standing near his bed. I slid from under the blanket and paddle quietly after him as he enters the bathroom - only lighted by a oil lamp.

As soon as I close the room's door I feel Robbie's arms wrap around my waist and his face in my neck. He breaths and I sigh, wrapping my hands around his wrists.

"What are we going to do?" I ask him. "Beck is getting worse… his temper is getting shorter. I'm worried for Jade…"

He trails kisses up and down my neck. "Let Andre and I handle Beck, don't get in it." He's changed so much in the last few months - we all have - but, with Robbie, he's changed the most out of us all besides Beck. He's so strong now, solid, without him here I would…

"But…" I begin.

"No buts, if he were to hurt you I would," He turns me around to face him. We lean towards each other and kiss before he can finish his sentence. I wrap my arms around his neck and he tightens his hold on me and leads me to the ground, our lips never leaving each others.

His hands explore me and mine explore him. We feed off each other, soak each other end as if we need each other like we need to breath.

But we have to stop. Robbie moved from a top me with me having to say anything, neither of us wanting to risk the chance of pregnancy by going to far. I straighten my tank top, watching as Robbie moves back to his heels and the frustration flashing across his features.

"Robbie…" I say and he grins at me and leans forward placing a kiss on my forehead.

"We need to sleep." He brushes my hair over my shoulder. I nod and I stand with him.

_I_

Jade and Beck are already whispering together on their cot by the next afternoon. 'He's sorry' and 'she understands' that 'he's under a lot of stress.'

I don't understand it. It isn't my business but I don't understand. He hits her and he apologizes and she forgives, rinse wash repeat. I thought that my frenime was stronger then that. I thought their would be no way she would put up with that.

There aren't many places to go in here. I get that. Not many new people to meet but… Had Beck always been like this and Jade hid it? But now with the close quarters and everyone not being allowed to hold any secrets it came out?

It's hard to believe. I always think of before bombs Beck a totally different being then after bombs Beck. This is a totally different Beck.

I wait until he's up and headed to the bathroom to sit on the edge of the cot near Jade. The girl glances at me but looks away fairly quickly, she obviously doesn't want to hear it.

"What are you doing, Jade?" I force her to look me in the eye.

She glares at me. "It isn't any of your business." It's not I suppose, if I weren't trapped in this bunker with them everyday. If I didn't have to go a little more hungry because Beck in his anger destroyed a whole full jar of fruit. If I didn't have to share a already tiny cot with another girl when Beck decided he would rather hit her then kiss her.

"You shouldn't let him treat you like this." I pleaded with her. She could sleep with Cat and I, I don't really mind that much. We'll protect her if he gets angry about it. "I'm your friend and I'm worried about you."

She glares at me for a moment then the look softens. "You don't understand, Tori. You don't understand how much I love him, need him. You've never been in love before."

Not really meaning too, I look up to Robbie who has taken a break from his notebook writing and was watching us. Was I in love with Robbie? It was possible right? But, would I ever let him treat me the way Beck treats Jade? No.

"Maybe it's more about convince then love." I tell her quietly standing as Beck exit's the bathroom, the bottle of liquor Robbie hides in his hand. He takes a swig of it before talking.

"Who's been hiding out on us?" He's already staggering. How much had he had in the bathroom? "I thought we all would share."

When everyone only stares and no one answers him, he flops down beside a stiff Jade and tries to press the bottle to her lips. She bats his arm away, but he wraps his arm around her shoulder - her neck really - and shoves it in her face again.

"Drink it, they've been skipping out on us, drink it." He angrily demands.

"Why don't you leave her alone." I ask pointedly and he looks up at me, with narrowed eyes. It's so odd to see that look on Beck's face. He then stands.

"What was that, Tori?"

Out of the corner of my eye I see Robbie has stood from his Cot. I swallow the lump in my throat and look the obviously drunk boy in the eye.

"I said why don't you leave her alone." I repeat.

"It isn't any of your fucking business what I do with her, Tori." He yelled at him spittle hitting my face. "None of your fucking business."

"It is!" I yell back. "As long as you're here in this bunker, it its!"

He looks furious and I think he might hit of hit me if it weren't for Robbie getting in front of me.

"Look Beck," Robbie begins. "All she is saying is that you need to chill out - a lot."

"Chill out?" Beck asks in disbelief. "No, you need to keep her in check before I do."

Robbie laughed an empty laugh. "You touch a hair on her head Beck…" He let his threat float in the air.

It was Beck's turn to laugh. "Look at you, all brave and noble now. What because you got a piece of her ass you think your something now don't you? Don't look like that, none of us sleep, we all see your late night trips to the bathroom."

They were going to fight I could tell by the way Robbie had balled his hands into fists, which were unstably shaking. His jaw was clenched and his eyes narrowed. I didn't want this to happen.

"What are you kids doing?" We all turn to Sikowitz who's standing by his door, but there was something wrong with his face. He was smiling. "We're getting out of here."

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	2. Chapter 2

"We're getting out of here."

Words I never thought I would hear. Sikowitz leads us into his bedroom, a room completely off limits until today and over to a radio.

"They're giving out radio transmissions, some group called the United Way. They've been sending them out for the last few weeks now, asking for any survivors." We all look at him in disbelief that he had kept that a secret from us. "Look, I had to make certain it wasn't the enemy." He explains. "This is legit, I think. I think they truly are Americans. I…" He looks at us all closely. "I wanted to see if you guys were alright with me responding to the radio transmission, telling them our location."

I looked at Robbie who was already looking at me. Cat was tightly gripping my arm.

_I_

36 hours and were out. Only thirty six hours and the United Way convoy would arrive to 'rescue' us. It's late, my watch says nearly three in the morning but I can't fall asleep, none of us can. We had spent most of the evening after Sikowitz had connected the group, packing up the rest of the food, which was a lot more then I thought. Then Sikowitz dug out the masks and suites we would need to go outside.

"Tori, do you think everything will be alright?" Cat whispers drawing me out of my thoughts.

"How could things get any worse?" I ask her. She coughs making the cot tremble. "Let's go to sleep, Cat."

"I'm afraid to see outside." Her voice is solemn and low. "The world can't be anything like it use to be. I can't even imagine, Tori." She gently sniffs. "All those…"

"We'll be fine, Cat." I tell her, tears pricking at my eyes. I hadn't cried in a long time and I didn't want to start up again.

I hoped we would be anyway.

_I_

Robbie helps me get my hair under a thin face hat, his already on along with his pale white hazmat, his tank around situated on his back, but his mask hung around his neck, He had his glasses on, which are usually kept in a safe location careful to not break them.

When he's done he gently kisses my forehead for a long time and I can feel myself blush and my stomach flutter.

"Awww," Cat gushes playfully and both turn to find her watching, her suit half on - incorrectly.

"Let me help you, Cat." Robbie offers half smiling, moving over to her, throwing me a look over his shoulder.

I can't help my smile and I look around. Andre is helping Sikowitz carrying bags out of his room, talking and stuff. Beck and Jade are harshly whispering to each other near the bathroom, Beck grabs her arm and she winces - I ignore it.

An hour later Beck and Andre are fully dressed in their suits and turning the large iron door handle, it's shaped like a wheel. I look at Robbie, only his eyes viewable behind the face mask. I'm afraid and my heart is thudding in my ears.

Then the heavy door is opened and blinding light enters the bunker and I close my eyes. Before I could open them I can feel a gloved hand take mine and I'm being pulled towards the open door. Robbie glances back at me, his eyes speaking to me, my sudden panic diminishes a little.

Outside…

I almost fall to the ground and if it weren't for Robbie, I think I may have. It's gone, the city is gone. Grey rubble and tall demolished naked skeletons of buildings stretch out towards a cloudy sky. Ashes still float from above like toxic snow flakes, it's hell.

"They will come to us." Sikowitz assures looking around. "They should come very soon." He honestly sounds like he's trying to convince himself.

Robbie gently pulls me closer to him, and I look around for Cat happy to see Andre close by her, one of his hands carrying a large bag the other holding Cat's arm, holding her up.

Minutes ticked by then the ground rumbled and we all moved closer to one another as we looked around trying to see the location of the rumbling. Then out of the cloud of ashes emerges a large black vehicle, moving over and pushing debris out of it's path.

It comes to a stop before us on the cracked dusty road. Then the back doors swing wide open and a person dressed in hazmat like us gets out, a long black weapon in his hands. He takes a look at us, then lowers it, the blackness of his mask lightens to reveal a face.

"Are you Sikowitz?" The male asks curtly.

Sikowitz steps forward his boots crunching over old glass maybe bones. "I'm Sikowitz."

The man nods. "Follow me, all of you." He leads us to the back of the vehicle and by the tinted window in the front. We load into the back and I can't help but feel vulnerable, we had no idea who these folks were and no idea the location they were taking us.

But at this moment, the only thing I am certain and aware of is… I'm sick and tired of being in that bunker.

_I_

We ride for hours, which turn into a day and another. No one really speaks except for the guy with the gun and that's to whoever is through the thick metal walls in the front, and that's threw a speaker.

We can't eat because we can't remove our suits and we can't use the bathroom either which has both Cat and Robbie completely squirming.

Then finally the vehicle rolls to a stop and the man moves towards the back van doors and opens them. Blinding light once again blinds me. Trees there are trees outside and above isn't cloudy but blue, I gawk at it. Forgetting how it looked.

The air obvious isn't very safe to breath though because the man doesn't remove his mask as he motions us out. Another person is walking towards the back when I get out.

"Girls, follow me." The female behind the mask speaks and turns and heads towards a metal door carved into what looked like the very side of a mountain. I look at Robbie, who I can tell is frowning but he looks at me and nods.

I hesitate before taking hold of Cat's arm and follow the woman, Jade catches up a moment later. The woman is already tapping on the metal when we get there and pushing it open. She holds it open for us and were in a narrow brown stone hallway, that we have no other choice but walk down.

We enter a sterile white room.

"Take your suits off, along with any clothing you are wearing underneath. Step into our showers through that brown door over there and wash with thoroughly with the green soap inside, then step through the other side. On the other side you will be given towels and robes and told to sit in on a metal stool. Do so." While the woman was telling us to do this she was stripping out of her clothing, which gave me a sense that this was the norm.

I looked at Cat and Jade removing my mask first and then the rest, the others followed suit. The woman nodded at us, her brown hair short before moving through the brown door. We followed once all of our clothes had been removed then into a large green shower like room. I went to one of the many stalls turning on the water - it was hot. I mean actual hot water. I can't remember the last time taking a shower, let alone with hot water.

I opened the container sitting on a tiny shelf taking out the bar of green soap and began washing myself with it. When I got to my hair I was disturbed at how much of it was simply falling from my head, tears began to prick at the back of my eyes again.

Then I moved through the other door, finishing with the others. Three other women were on the other side and handed us towels and robes. I sat on one of the metal stools in the large rectangular room like told.

"We have to cut your hair." One of the woman said, an older lady wearing a kind smile.

"What?" I asked hoping I had heard her wrong. The woman smiled sympathetically.

"The radiation clings to hair and to keep the inside uncontaminated everyone has to cut their hair when they first get here." The woman explains softly. I touch my thinning hair feeling panicked all over again. I glance at Cat who is already silently crying. "Look at it this way." The woman says. "When it grows back in, it will be thick and you won't have any more balding spots."

That hadn't made me feel better about losing all my hair, and I felt completely shallow for feeling so upset about it.

With no other choices our hair was cut into a buzz. I cried like a baby through the whole thing, but Cat and Jade cried too. Then we were lead into another room were we were then separated and I sat behind a thick green curtain in nothing but the robe waiting on a doctor to show up.

When he finally did he looked way to young to be a doctor, which made me nervous. He had short black hair and green eyes.

"I was pre-med when it happened." He told me noticing my uncertainty. His grins at me in an disarming way. "Trust me, I was the top of my class." I suddenly feel self-conscious, being bald and in front of undeniable handsome man. Which made me think of Robbie and how he would react to my new hair do. "I'm Dr. Limingburg, but you can call me Tony. Say ah…" I do as told and he flashes a light into my mouth. "Very good…"

"Tori," I tell him quietly and he grins and nods.

"I had a sister named Tori." He lightly says. " Take a deep breath for me and let it out very slowly, ok?" He tells me as the cold instrument touches my chest. He then does it again this time to my back. He then scribbles something down on a notebook and hands me a cup. "Do you think you can pee in this for me?"

Could I? I've been holding it for two days, I think I needed a bigger cup. He then directs me to a tiny bathroom outside of the curtain and I return with what he asked for. He takes it and places it inside another container before throwing away his gloves.

"I forgot to weigh you." He mumbles and tells me to step on a scale. "93lbs," he mumbles out loud. Then he get's my height and makes me take three white and yellow pills. "You must have met my brother today?" He asks before I could ask what they were for.

I frown and shake my head. "I don't think so…"

Tony smiles. "Yeah you likely didn't get to see his face but he looks exactly like me. We're identical twins. I just wanted to warn you that if you run into a jerk in the hallways it's him not me."

I blink, remembering the man who had picked us up. "Oh, that's your brother." I quietly state. He nods.

"He can be a real ass hole especially when he's around pretty women. He makes a fool of himself and you're a pretty woman so be expecting it Tori."

I blush, wondering did I just get hit on by this pre-med doctor. He then tells me to go see a woman at the end of the hall and that it would be her that gave me actual clothes. I meet Cat there as she is struggling into a small blue tank top which is still large on her.

The woman - Amy - hands me a bra she thinks will fit me and I put it on. I'm nearly dressed in my baggy pants and sliding into a grey T-shirt when I realize we were missing Jade.

"Have you seen, Jade?" I ask Cat worriedly. Cat eyes grow wide and she looks around shaking her head.

I frown. Then I spot her turning into the hall her robe tightly wrapped around her, she looks in deep thought until she catches us looking at her, she rolls her eyes.

"Are you alright?" I ask her as she unties her robe and let it fall from her shoulders, she reaches into the box before the woman could hand her anything, grabbing black jeans and a black shirt.

"Why wouldn't I be, Tori?" She asks in annoyance. "You seriously worry to much."

I'm not relived. We are led into another room to a woman seated behind a desk and she asks us if we will be rooming together.

"I need to sleep with Beck." Jade actually says, and I mentally sigh.

"Are you and this Beck married?" The woman asked. "We only give family unites to the married and those with children."

"No but…" Jade began glancing at Cat and I. "Fine, I'll room with them."

The woman smiled at getting her way. "Alright," The woman wrote our names down in her ledger. "Everyone has to contribute here and we currently have openings in the gardening department and health department, we always have openings in security." The woman said dully.

We all shared looks. Cat and Jade chose health and turned to be waiting on my answer.

"Security," I tell the woman who shrugs. Cat and Jade both stare at me. I'm not even sure why I chose that maybe very deep inside of me I was aware it was because I was tired of sitting around and waiting. I was tired of being confined to walls and doors like I was a prisoner.

"Fine," the woman says and hands me a piece of paper as well as Cat and Jade's. She then gives Cat a key. "To the room, the number is 439, third floor down."

Inside is a massive circle and the main floor we enter seems to be a type of cafeteria, with large counter on the other side and tables littered throughout. There are a set of metal stairs to the left leading upwards and the ceiling is high. There are another set of metal stairs to the right which led down, and that likely goes for miles as well.


End file.
